Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-11-02
VALUABLE SHELLS.
ARRIVAL OF A CARGO OF $500
POUNDS OF PEARLS.

A Reporters Chat with a Large I'm
Gathering Shells - Factories Where
Pearl Work is Turned Out.
A cargo of about 36,0O0 pounds of pearl
from the Philippine Islands arrived in this
city recently and it will, no doubt, soon he
converted into artistic shapes for the adorn-
ment Of fashionable mtnsions. One of the
latest atfectations of the wealthy is the add
ton TO their household gods of artisticailN
executed sea and landscape paintings in OH
upon mother of pearl shells. 1t Is doubtful if
one of the hundreds who purchase them, or
five out OF the thousands who admire them Ill
the show windows on Broadway or elsewhere,
have the remoteSt idea That nature formed
these shells tor any other purpose than TO he
used in this style of alornnent
A large importer Of shells and a nlanutae-
turer of pearl goods, in conversation with tt
reporter, expressed astonishment at the pro
found ignorance of 50 many persons in re
gard to the different localities from which
pearl shells come, and the hundred and one
purposes for which they are used.
"How many kinds are there used in your
busnesSi" asked the reporter
THE VARIOUS KINDS.
"rhe shells which puSStss n commercial
value are known to the trade as the Manila
Australian, Bombay, Japan, East India
Trocus, Chinese snail, black and red ear, AMI
| Panama. Several Of these species are pear
| bearing shell, and are only obtained by pro
| fc,siuual divers al the imminent risk OF then
| lives. Many of these Div alves are very heavy
| weighing sometimes eight or ten pounds 1h'
| moment the native gets one ashore he force
it open, and, carefully removing the living
inhabitant, carefully searches for any pear
it may contain. MOI only the shell, Mt an,
about its hinge, but the meat or fish within J.
| thoroughly examined, lest the pearl might b,
secreted, as is frequently the case, i'll the body
| This examination over, the shells are lui,
aside to dry, having first been thorough!
| cleaned The finest shell for manulncturin;
| purposes comes from The Philippine island
and is called the Manila 1t ranges in pric
| from sixty to seventy five cents a pound, an,
is used for making dress and shirt buttons
| pistol stocks, cuff buttons, parasol and un
breia handles, pen handles, studs. and score
of other articles A thin vcneering is ais
made Of it, which is worth Sl2 pound, an
is used for inlaying the covers Of albums am
fancy cabinet work These veueerings ar
fairly dazzling with rainbow hues, and whe
lightly polished are exceedingly beautiful
When We have got all these articles out c
the shell there is very little of the shell IT
7 naming"
is there any difficulty or danger attendin
| the gathering Of these shellsl"
Il should rather say there was. There
one species of shell shaped like an ear, calle
the silver and red ear, in the sides of whic
are small holes, and through these. by meal
| of long suckers, the fish fastens himself to
rock " hen the tide has pretty nearly ru
ont the natives 80 down among the rocA
and, watc2;ng their Opportunity, catch hol
| nf the upper sSell which the shelltish keel
E open Unless he succeeds in the first insiant
i'll pulling it from its resting place the amin;
will close its she'll in a second, and the man
: fingers will be held there in wise like gril
In that case the unfortunate pearl gather,
will have to stand up to his knees in watt
unless he cuts off his imprisoned fingers, ft
the shell cannot be priei open, nor eau thr
i men, with their united strength, pull h
suckers from the rock The shell is SO hal
;. that it Is next TO impossible to smash
y fhere the poor fellow is held IN agony uni
+ the tide rises, when, unless he frees hinise
| 10y chopping off his finger ends and leavil
them for the animal 10 dine on, he is sure
!. | be drowned.